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Choose your child's age range.

If your child was born more than 3 weeks early, use their adjusted age (actual age minus weeks early) until their 2nd birthday. After that, use their actual age.

Child already 5? The 4–5 years section shows skills most children develop by age 5. If you're concerned, speak to a healthcare professional.

4 to 5 years

Every child is different. These are things most children (at least 3 in 4) do by the end of this stage.

Arabic examples show everyday spoken Arabic first, then standard Arabic. They're examples, not exact phrases your child must understand. Arabic varies from one dialect to another.

What to expect

Listening and understanding

  • Understands and uses words like "behind", "beside" and "between" ("ورا / خلف"، "جنب / بجانب"، "بين")
  • Follows simple directions and rules to play games
  • Answers simple questions about a book or story after you read or tell it

Talking

  • Uses longer, more complex sentences. In English, sentences are mostly grammatically correct
  • Tells a story they heard or made up with at least two events, like a cat stuck in a tree and a firefighter saving it
  • Keeps a conversation going with more than three turns each
  • Uses time words like "yesterday" and "tomorrow" ("مبارح / أمس" and "بكرا / غدًا") correctly
  • In English: uses at least one irregular plural, like "feet" or "men"

Sounds

  • In English: says most consonants correctly, and people understand their speech in conversation
  • In English: recognises or uses simple rhymes, like cat and hat
  • In English: joins word parts together, like cup + cake = cupcake

Playing and connecting

  • Follows rules and takes turns when playing games with other children
  • Sings, dances or acts for you

Arabic sounds

س ش خ غ ه ر usually come between 4 and 6, and some Arabic sounds come later still, like the ط in طابة. Saying a sound the way your dialect does isn't a mistake. For example, saying the ق in قلم as ء is a common Jordanian dialect form, not a speech error, and it doesn't mean your child can't say the letter. These words are only examples of the sounds, not words your child is expected to say. If your child is hard to understand in conversation, or you're not sure whether something is a dialect form or a speech difficulty, it's worth mentioning to a professional.

The research
  • 4 to 6 group: س ش خ غ ه ر (Amayreh and Dyson 1998, Table 2).
  • After 6 years 4 months in their standard form: ط ض ق ء ث ذ ظ ز ص ع ج (Table 2). In a follow-up of 10 late consonants, 8 were said correctly in their everyday (dialect) form by 7 years 4 months and all 10 by 8 years 4 months, while 5 were still not produced in their standard form by 8 years 4 months (Amayreh 2003).
  • Dialect forms aren't mistakes. In Jordanian Arabic, saying ق as ء or g, ج as zh, ث as ت, ذ as د, or ظ as ض is ordinary speech (Amayreh and Dyson 1998, Table 1).
  • The "later" reassurance covers these particular sounds only. It isn't a reason to wait if a child is hard to understand in conversation, which most children aren't by this age.

Growing up with two languages

Read books in all your languages, which supports reading and writing in each of them. The language your child uses most may change over time, for example when they start school in English.

Talk to a professional if your child...

  • Isn't doing many of the things on this page by the end of this stage

Worried about your child's hearing? Ask for a hearing test, even if your child responds to some sounds. You don't need to wait for other signs. For example, you may notice you often have to repeat yourself, or you find yourself using a loud voice with them, but these are only examples, not signs you need to wait for.

When to talk to someone

You don't need to wait until several things are missing. Talk to a professional if your child isn't doing many of the things on this page by the end of this stage, if you have any one specific worry (such as their hearing, losing skills they had, their communication or their feeding), or if you're simply worried. You know your child best.

Who to talk to

Your GP, paediatrician or a speech and language therapist.

Ideas to try at home

Ideas to try at home: Try Something Today, 3 to 6 years

Where this information comes from

Research references

These milestones describe skills most children develop by the end of each age range. Every child develops differently. This information is not a diagnosis or a substitute for professional advice. If you have concerns about your child's communication, hearing, eating or drinking, speak with a qualified healthcare professional.